There was once a time, two years ago, when I felt so pathetically lethargic that I’d actually diagnosed my own clinical laziness. I know, awful right?! It finally hit me during my sophomore year of college, and the shirtless jocks were in full swing on campus, blazing with their own self-righteous hotness. Day in and day out, I would hermit away in my dorm room watching SVU reruns, frowning at the little gut I’d created over the years that refused to suck itself forever and never show its pudgy little face again.

It wasn’t until the summer after that I realized I was unhappy with my unbelievable lazy habits and wanted better for myself and for my body. What I did next changed my life forever. I became more active, more aware of my unhealthy habits and over time restored the happiness I always knew was inside of me. Because I know I am still a work in progress, I’ve created a list of cardinal tips/rules that have really helped me to battle my own laziness over the past two years, and I hope they’ll do the same for you too:

1. Set up a workout schedule reminder

No matter who you are, I think it’s safe to say that everyone has made enemies with their alarm clock at least once in their lives. Alarms have always been critical to my journey to achieving a healthier, more active lifestyle. Which makes it all the more necessary to set one for yourself to keep you up on your workout schedule. One extra tip, set your alarm clock farthest away from your bed so you won’t be tempted to hit the snooze button like we lazies so often do.

2. Bring a buddy, a fellow lazy buddy if possible

I’m sure you’ve heard this tip somewhere, and that’s because it’s extremely fool-proof. What’s better than one lazy person getting up and going to the gym: two lazy people going to the gym together. There’s no better way to combat the gruesome hour you’ll be spending sweating (or suffering) than by bringing a friend along. When a friend and did our daily night runs around campus, we were averaging between six to eight miles every two hours or so. Compare that with the measly two miles I managed on my own, I’d say having ran as a pair motivated both of us to go the extra mile(s).

3. At-home workouts are a lazy-wanting-to-be-fit person’s best friend

If you’re just like me, sometimes going out for runs or to the gym seems a lot easier said than done. That idea was all too true for me, maybe because of that one time I went to the gym at a time I thought it’d be empty, only to discover a crowd of baseball jocks staring me down like I was some sort of pariah. So before I built up the confidence to workout in public places, YouTube taught me all I needed to know about working out in the comfort of my own dorm and could certainly assist you with doing the same.

4. Facebook your progress

You probably wouldn’t think about this one but Facebook actually worked wonders for me when I started my fitness journey. Facebooking my progress every day created a new wave of support that I really needed at that time, and it encouraged me to continue to efforts. Journals and fitness diaries can appear too dated with all the technology we have today, and Facebook is was the best way for me to interact and report all my fitness goals and achievements effectively. It also encourages others, maybe just like you, to want to get active too. And who knows, you might even make a few more friends to join in on the journey.

5. Give yourself a break

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned about trying to get fit is that I needed to make time for R&R. I know, I know, “Rest up? Doesn’t that seem a little contradictory?” Not exactly. You don’t want to overwork yourself into a state of exhaustion because that could send you back to square one, and back to Lazyville. Instead, aim to workout maybe two or three times a week for 30 minutes to start but always leave yourself at least two days to rest your muscles. It always helped me to have rest days in between workout days. Remember, you have a life outside of fitness and you deserve to live it. Giving your body a break and doing something fun is always necessary because it’s the little rewards we give ourselves that make working towards our personal goals that more exciting.

Even though I still like to enjoy a good Netflix session from time to time, I always make room for fitness in my day-to-day routine. These are just a few of the helpful tips I’ve used to assist me in my journey.

If you have any tips or stories of your own rise to fitness, please share them in the comments below!

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Paris Close is a twentysomething with a clinical obsession with all things Jesse Bradford and Jesse Bradford-looking, which his doctor, Mindy Lahiri, says is socially acceptable. He earned his B.A. in English Literature in 2014 from Aquinas College, and his writings can be seen featured on websites emcBlue and University101. He currently writes for entertainment websites PuckerMob and Crushable, and resides in his native Michigan.